@Jimi Disu
updated listeners on the health situation of Majek Fashek on his Tuesday
morning radio talk show of Lagos Talks FM 91.3. Over the weekend, Jimi had
discovered via a YouTube post that Majek was not doing so well. He expressed
sadness that the very gifted Majek Fashek missed making the one stroke, the
next one strike that could have seen him stepping into the twin-shoes of iconic
Bob Marley and Fela Anikulapo Kuti.
As one who
met Majek in passing, I think that he has done very well for himself
considering the stifling Nigerian operating environment. Majek escaped with dignity the
strangulation of creativity and hope on his own terms. He beat
Babylon and that is a huge accomplishment. Even though it now seems not to have
lasted for long, he made it in the life he wanted to live. I agree with Bob
Marley though that every man ultimately decides the destiny they want.
Everywhere in the world, it is usually a person’s ability to manage success and
the inner stamina that developed from all the stuff that life has thrown at us
that enable us to survive the deception of success.
I met Majek
Fashek back in time in their Jah Stix rehearsal kiosk on a dusty Ojota street. I
don’t quite remember what took me there, but it must have been during my search
for a place to record an A and R demo of my songs with at least a 4-piece band.
At that time there was Majek himself, Black Rice, Amos McRoy and a Yoruba young
man on keys who soon after I met them took off to Germany. They were hooked on Reggae
while I wrote Soul. However, remember that musicians always evolve, so they can
always hash-up any popular genre for a fee. I learnt that they had come down to
Lagos from Benin. He later found himself in the favor of the late Chief G A D
Tabansi playing A&R demos for his Tabansi Records at Oregun Road. I would
say that it was from that close interaction that Majek was eventually able to
please the shrewd old man with the Prisoner of Conscience album songs, the
album that finally announced Majek to Nigeria and the world, without the Jah
Stix brethren.
Chief
Tabansi did not, on the other hand fulfill the contract his record company went
into with me. My ears were full of tales of many works recorded by artistes
that the man just would not let see the light of day. Therefore, after signing
our recording deal, I requested him to promise to release my works. He said, ‘you
want guarantees?’ I said I did. He told me bluntly that he did not give guarantees.
We parted ways at that, even though we tried a number of times to work out
something. It would now seem that the man and I were destined to never agree.
I would say
that Majek made it well above the opportunities, which were available to a
musician at that time, but you see it is not good for a musician to be alone,
all alone. Especially when surrounded by the wrong people, one is still more alone
then.
I was sad
for Majek when I heard of his mother’s passing. One can only do so much, and go
so far alone. I salute you my brother, Majek Fashek. I have come to know that
we do not die in the way we perceive transition. When our body fails to
continue to function to support our activities on this sphere our spirit flows
back to its source.
